Chargesheet against MLA

Additional director-general of police (CID) Ambarik Singh Nimbran today confirmed submission of the chargesheet against the ruling party MLA from Hathuwa in Gopalganj district. “The chargesheet has already been submitted against the accused in a torture case lodged with Uchakagaon police station in Gopalganj district,” he said.

Ram Sevak could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated attempts.

Sources in the police headquarters said that the CID initiated probe in the case on persuasion of the MLA, who had demanded a fair inquiry into the allegations of torture and pouring petrol in private parts of two youths — Vishal Kumar Singh and Rajesh Mishra. The two youths had lodged a complaint alleging that the MLA, his brother Ramashray Singh, his three bodyguards and his driver made them hostage and tortured them on the night of May 23 last year.

Ram Sevak was arrested along with his bodyguards on May 24 and remanded in judicial custody. The youths alleged that the MLA nurtured a grudge against them as they had not favoured the MLA’s younger brother’s wife Saroj Devi, who was contesting election for the post of mukhiya of Balesra. Ram Sevak’s kin lost the election against Susheela Devi that left the MLA furious. According to the FIR lodged by the two victims, Ram Sevak and his supporters went berserk and took every passer-by to teach them a lesson for not voting in favour of Saroj.

On June 2, 2011, Ram Sevak was granted bail by then Gopalganj district and sessions judge V.P. Singh after the medical report did not confirm pouring of petrol in the private parts of the complaints, which made them unconscious as claimed in the FIR. The then Gopalganj superintendent of police K.S. Anupam had immediately suspended Ram Sevak’s three bodyguards — Jai Ram Mahto, Bhola Singh, Pawan Kumar and driver Vijay Kumar. All the four were subsequently arrested and forwarded to jail for abetment of crime.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar had asked the then director-general of police, Neel Mani, to ascertain the role of the MLA in the case.

Sources said the CID swung into action after the chief minister’s instruction. Subsequently, a team was formed to conduct an in-depth investigation. The victims’ relatives had also approached the state human rights commission, which sought a detailed report from the DGP.

Another JD(U) MLA from Kuchaikot Amrendra Kumar Pandey has been booked for allegedly killing a liqour trader at Hathuwa in May this year.